This building, however, notwithstanding its importance, was to all appearance never regarded by the Babylonians as the Tower of Babel, for the very good reason that it was not situated in Babylon, but in Borsippa, which, though called, in later times, "the second Babylon," was naturally not the original city of that name. Following the tradition handed down by the Jews and Arabs, most writers upon the subject have identified it with the great Temple of Nebo in the city of Borsippa, now called the Birs-Nimroud (explained as a corruption of Birj Nimroud, "Tower of Nimrod"). There has been much difference of opinion as to the geographical position of the Tower of Babel. The following are excerpts from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth” ( Genesis 11:8-9) That is why it was called Babel-because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. “So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. God’s justice and His grace could not allow this treachery to continue. They felt they didn’t need God to rule over them-they could rule themselves and reach the heavens on their own terms, with their own hands, by their own means. In their attempt to maintain unity and create a name for themselves, God’s people rebelled against God’s sovereign authority and embraced their own self-sufficiency. But unfortunately, the goal they were working toward was steeped in arrogance and in direct opposition to God’s command to multiply and “fill the earth” ( Genesis 9:1). God saw that the people were working together toward a common goal. “The ancient historian Josephus states of Nimrod, ‘He also said he would be revenged on God if he should have a mind to drown the world again for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 1, Chapter 4).” In What Was the Sin That Condemned the Tower of Babel? Alyssa Roat offers a quote that gives insight into Nimrod’s frame of mind. The structure-a tower made from man-made building materials-would be a symbol of their power and self-sufficiency, and some historians believe that Nimrod had an additional motive for wanting to build the tower of Babel. “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth” ( Genesis 11:4). This story is a powerful reminder of how important it is to obey God's Word and not think we can build a successful but godless life on our own! What was the Tower of Babel?Īs Nimrod began his reign, he and his followers had one overriding goal for their new territory they wanted to ensure the security of their community by building a prestigious landmark to make a name for themselves. The tower was named The Tower of Babel because the word Babel means confusion. This caused the people to scatter across the land. God caused the people to suddenly speak different languages so they could not communicate and work together to build the tower. God did not like the pride and arrogance in the hearts of the people. They began to construct a great ziggurat. The Babylonians wanted a tower that would "reach to the heavens" so they could be like God and would not need Him. The people decided to build a tall, proud symbol of how great they had made their nation. The population was growing, and they all spoke one language. The descendants of Noah lived in the area of Mesopotamia in Babylon.
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